7 Iron Distance

[jcjr34]

I play about once a week, my average 7i is 150-155 consistently.

[ebenn]

135 on the short end.

160 max when I pure it.

Avg = 135-140

[Merlin_T]

i'm surprised no one has brought up the issue of loft. my 7 iron may be someone else's 6 or their 8.

 

Excellent point

[atxGunit]

comfortably 155-160, 165 if I step on it but rarely do that. Standard RAC LT@2 loft (not sure what it is).

 

-Jared

[muxi87]

i'm surprised no one has brought up the issue of loft. my 7 iron may be someone else's 6 or their 8.

 

That's why I noted my specific iron in the post...I know the new Nickent irons (just by spec comparison...never hit them), most Cobras, and Callaways always played longer for me while Pings have always been on the shorter end...I feel like the MacGregor M685s that I'm currently swinging run pretty 'true' though...

[rock1661]

Comfortably 165-170

[aminian.1]

150-160

[sandwedge]

My guess is that the average golfer hits a 7 iron realistically about 150 yards.

[hobbes]

My automatic thought with a 35* club is 150-155. I hit the ball really high so I don't get much roll. I am working on the descending strike and it really throws me off at times. When I "pure" it I have seen up to about 175.

[MisterMizzy]

Loft on my MP-37 7 iron is 35* shafts are Project X 6.5 (in signature)

[ApexGrind]

i'm surprised no one has brought up the issue of loft. my 7 iron may be someone else's 6 or their 8.

 

Ding! Ding! Ding! There used to be a pretty consistent "standard" for clubs. Shaft length, loft and lie, but that was a long time ago. I haven't keep up with the technology since the last set of clubs I got were the original Apex Grinds (like them so much I bought a second set when they quit making them). I did switch from my persimmon driver this year 'cause I couldn't find a club maker to refinish it and someone gave me a 983K... Even back then Pings were a bit strong with a longer shaft than most. Friend of a friend of mine was the Hogan VP of marketing and R&D (yea, I got a good deal on the sticks and they were custom made by Tom Kite's personal club maker). Shortly after they were going to come out with their low cost cast clubs. They were (and I think did) going to make them oversized and *2* clubs strong! We were joking about this at a barbeque and wondering what someone was supposed to do inside 120. They figured they'd have a matching 4 wedge set to go with them. Perfect for the period when they started carrying a bunch of wedges on the tour and that was the new thing. These were marketed directly at the "macho" golfers who go to drink beer and say they can hit thier 7 iron as far as those guys on TV.

 

It really doesn't matter how far you hit a particular club. What matters is how far you hit it *consistently*. If you want to hit the ball farther, you use a longer club. There are some constraints. You need to be able to be able to get close enough to make your approach shots from a comfortable distance.

 

7 - 150

[ezra76]

From what I've seen, around 145 to 155 average but that's including a lot of older guys I play with. I'm playing 1" long 105g shafts and figure mine for around 165-170carry.

 

As far as those 198yd. averages... I've yet to see anyone under about 90yrs. old who doesn't hit a driver 198yds. on a "good" (for them anyway) swing. I suppose if you include the twice a year crowd that shoots 134 even with 7 mulligans and go through 16 Top Flites in one round. Those are not "golfers". I'm basing my estimates on what I see at the 120-140 slope tracks I play.

 

See, that's the key, though. People say their averages are when they nut their drivers, when in reality, they are going to average much closer to 200 yards. Ernie Els may be able to hit his driver 380 yards once a year at Sony, but it would be a bs answer for him to say I hit my driver 380.

 

I'd base it on the "average" golfer being the guy who has a handicap of around 17 and generally has a good day when he plays bogey golf. Yeah, he may hit 1-10 230-240, but that's like Albert Pujols saying he hits a homerun every AB.

 

This thread is a perfect example of why every pro has the same criticism of all their pro-am partners:

 

They never use enough club.

 

 

I agree to an extent. With a 7iron I don't plan for a "non-flushed" shot since I hit it on dead center 80-85% of the time. With a driver that % goes down to about 60-65%.

 

Realistic distances with irons should be judged on a smooth swing that allows a player to flush it that high of a %. For me that is about 80% of my "full" swing.

 

I count on 260yds. of carry with a driver and 165 with a 7iron. Now can I hit it longer? Of course I can. I played 3 months ago on a cart with GPS and hit a 297yd. driver and hit the green with a 5iron from 217. I played 2 weeks ago with a guy who had the rangefinder deal, hit the green from 201 with a 5iron and after grabbing a 7iron, not wanting to return to the cart, bounced one onto the green from what he said was 192 to the front edge.

 

Does that mean I take a 7iron on a 188yd. par 3? No, I take a 5iron. On a 217, a 5iron? NO. I played a course Sat. with 2 par 3's, both 219. I hit my 21* hybrid on one and a high cut 17.5* 5W on the other.

[TCMP]

I hit a 7 about 155-160 average. 36.75" length and 36* loft.

[amj0042]

I think you need to be careful asking what distance others hit each of their clubs, but instead should focus on knowing exactly how far you hit your irons. Thats all that matters when you get out on the course. You have to play with the game you bring that day. That's not to say you can't have a target distance in mind (and in fact, probably should) to shoot for as you lower your handicap, practice, etc. but if I'm faced with a specific distance, I vary my club selection for lie, wind, shot shape, etc. and therefore I want to be able to hit each of my clubs in a range of distances depending on the shot, to account for all of that and when I'm in between clubs.

 

I'm in my 20's and play to about an 8 or 9 handicap nowadays, and I look to hit 7 iron when i'm at about 150 away, but can take off 10 yards or so if I want to play a knockdown (which increases my accuracy considerably on some courses I play). I don't think I've ever hit a 7 iron longer than 165, and I'm not really a scrawny dude or anything. Bottom line answer to the question though is that it depends on a lot of factors.

[MisterMizzy]

I agree 100% with knowing the distances of your own clubs. I also agree with experimenting against and with the wind. On a perfectly calm day, I hit driver with about 260 yards of carry, yet with the wind, I've hit drives well over 300 yards. Into that same wind, I've hit drives that have only gone 260 carry and all. My experience is that the wind has a greater affect on a ball going into it, than one going with it. That is the kind of information that can keep you from over/underclubbing on the course. Sometimes an individual's club selection may not be strictly based on distance. It may be based on the type of shot they intend to hit, or elevation, wind, etc.

[dpriester]

I've heard the "national" average for a male is in the 140 yd range. I hit mine 155 to 160 comfortably. I play with some guys longer and some guys shorter. The key remains to know how far YOU can hit it, don't worry about what others hit from the same distance, take enough club and remember there are no pictures on the scorecard.

[golfmonke]

I carry my 7 -iron anywhere from 165-175 yards depending on contact/how aggressive I swing at it. I"m also very long

[kingarthur]

It depends on the trajectory i am playing. I usually hit 168 for high, soft landing shots and about 175 for normal trajectory. I got lucky once and hit 200

[nickylizzle]

In the tiger woods golf clinic video on youtube tiger woods says he hits his 8 iron 158yards on average, so lets say i add a conservative amount of 14 yards for a 7-iron so he probably hits his 7-iron 172 yards. I carry the ball a total average of 274 yards and i hit my 7-iron 162 yards. So i think if the average golfers swing is 40 miles slower than tigers i think it would be 130 yards including mishits.

[MisterMizzy]

158 is the distance Tiger "plays" his 8 iron. In all reality that distance is probably somewhere between an 8 and 9 iron for him. He's fully capable of hitting that 8 iron a good 175. What was really crazy is the time he pulled 9 iron from 200 yards. I can't remember which tournament that was at, but it happened last year. Also, if you're carrying 275 consistently and only hitting the 7 iron 162, then I must be doing something wrong. I hit the 7 iron 175 and only carry 260 with the driver @ 112 MPH (5 iron SS = 93 MPH).

[bloodredsun]

In the tiger woods golf clinic video on youtube tiger woods says he hits his 8 iron 158yards on average, so lets say i add a conservative amount of 14 yards for a 7-iron so he probably hits his 7-iron 172 yards. I carry the ball a total average of 274 yards and i hit my 7-iron 162 yards. So i think if the average golfers swing is 40 miles slower than tigers i think it would be 130 yards including mishits.

That sounds about right but you need to add in the fact that Tigers irons are probably 3 degrees or more weaker than most peoples..

[greencarlito]

Does anyone not know how far they hit their 7 iron? I don't mean to sound funny, but I got a new set of irons about 6 months and I still couldn't say how far I hit it to within less than 5 yards. I find myself using it from anywhere between 150-170, obviously depending on conditions. For me, getting a feel of the shot is much more important than sticking to a rigid system of carry distances. It seems to eliminate any worries about being just off the perfect yardage, and makes it much easier to commit to a shot.

[adkima00]

I hit MY club with the 7 on the sole 140. I don't know what the loft is. I don't think it really matters though. As long as it gets to the hole in as few strokes as possible....

[sboardz006]

I hit it regularly somewhere between 140 & 150. Seems to bounce around in that range. I think i can get it to max out around 160, although I never use it from 160 on the course.

[jaebell]

Smooth swing is 165 for me.

[ej002]

165 ish for a fade, 170ish for a draw

[ej002]

158 is the distance Tiger "plays" his 8 iron. In all reality that distance is probably somewhere between an 8 and 9 iron for him. He's fully capable of hitting that 8 iron a good 175. What was really crazy is the time he pulled 9 iron from 200 yards. I can't remember which tournament that was at, but it happened last year. Also, if you're carrying 275 consistently and only hitting the 7 iron 162, then I must be doing something wrong. I hit the 7 iron 175 and only carry 260 with the driver @ 112 MPH (5 iron SS = 93 MPH).

 

At 112 mph, I think you should be carrying your driver farther. On my better drives I carry mine 160, and my ss is only like 104.

[Southern Ca Boy]

you can hit it anywhere from 200 to 130. just depends on if you want to deloft the club or not......

 

most scratch golfers will hit it 165-175

 

average golfers will hit it 150-165

 

14 handicap would hit it about 130 - 140

[cdesana]

Smooth 7 iron = 175

[hoganfan924]

The average 17 hdcp. is probably hitting a 7 iron 135-140 yards excluding complete mishits (tops, shanks)

 

On a "normal" shot (no wind, no elevation change, 1000 ft. altitude, 75F day) I'll hit the 7 in a range from 158-175. I'll also hit a low punchy "3 fingered" shot between 145-160. Over 175 I might still hit the 7 iron hard and stretch to 180. It largely depends on pin position, playing conditions (firmness of green), where the trouble is (forced carry over hazard or bunker, etc.) and how well I'm swinging that day.

 

E.g. - 175 yd shot pin in back no trouble in front - hit a low smooth punchy 6 iron land it 5-10 yards short and let it release to the hole

170 yd shot, pin in front or middle, trouble behind the green, hit a full high 7 iron

 

I think every golfer would greatly enhance their ability to play the game if they can learn to hit each of their irons within a 30 or 40 yard range under the same conditions. BTW, how far anyone hits a particular iron is meaningless in comparison to other golfers.

 

Mid-irons are precision clubs designed for accuracy so getting caught up in how far you can hit them is a complete waste of time as long as you know how far you do hit them. I've played with a guy who has a horrible outside-in swing, will pull SW from 130 yds., shut the face down, close his stance, swing out of his shoes and then "thump his chest" about how far he can hit it (then proceed to hit a 230 yd banana ball on the next tee with his driver). So this genius has 13 clubs to cover 100 yards! lol

 

BTW, in my swing sequence that's in my sig. I'm hitting 7 iron on all the shots (except DTL). Was landing them at 165 into about a 5-8 mph breeze.